Originally posted by Doctor Q #1: Ability to resize windows from all four corners and all four sides.

Click to expand...

I'd also like windows to resize smoothly.

Anyway, I'd like to be able to create a new text file from a right-click (contextual, whatever you want to call it) menu. It's a feature on Windows that I actually used with regularity, and it would be nice to have on the Mac.

I'm hoping that the User Switching in Panther works like it does in Windows. At least to the point that I can leave apps running while someone else logs in. It's really annoying when I have to close my apps and log out just so my wife can check her email.

Another feature I would like to see is the ability to drag windows from anywhere along the border, not just the title bar.

i had to print something for my mom-in-law on her computer. (she was having trouble)
Anyway XP said "I am printing your document", then said "Your document is done printing". I thought that was very useful.
At work, my iMac is in my office, but the office laser printer is in a common room. It would be nice if my iMac just said, "Done printing your 32 page document"
That way I wont be standing in the copy room waiting for the printer to spit it out.

I know it is trivial, but very helpful to mom-in-laws who can barely turn the computer on, let alone set up/use the printer.

This may be petty, but this is one feature i love about windows nt/2000/xp that no other operating system has. You know how when your connected to a network and there is those network traffic lights in the system tray? Well i really like those and no other os ive used has had them. Sure i can have them when im connected to the net with a modem, but i use broadband... Think about the broadband users!!!!

Other then that I would like to see hibernation mode for laptops. i/PowerBooks have the ability to go to sleep however AFAIK they don't have the save to disk feature Windows has. This has been a very useful method of shutting down the computer. Its a happy medium between a full power off and a suspend.

Originally posted by Daveman Deluxe I want an add/remove programs control panel, only I want it to remove all traces of the app from my hard disk, including Application Support files and preferences files.

Click to expand...

The Add/Remove Program control only runs an uninstaller. If developers would include an uninstaller, you won't have to worry, although going to your preference folder or the Application Support folder is nowhere near as hard as editing a registry or deleting files from inside the Windows folder without messing up the system.

Originally posted by Daveman Deluxe I want an add/remove programs control panel, only I want it to remove all traces of the app from my hard disk, including Application Support files and preferences files.

Click to expand...

programs installed through an osx installer package leave receipts of their contents and can be removed with third party apps, although i do think apple should make this a prefpane.

Most of those features are already in OS X if you look for them or you can add through 3rd party utilities. The copy/paste thing and window resizing from all corners will never happen, though, since Apple pretty much abides *strictly* to uniform standards, which the Windows way of handling cut/copy/paste/etc does not. The one thing I'd like without having to get a 3rd party fix is being able to just switch between windows and have the inactive ones automatically hide without having to force hide them. I've found that LiteSwitch X does that, but it's $15.

Originally posted by rhpenguin This may be petty, but this is one feature i love about windows nt/2000/xp that no other operating system has. You know how when your connected to a network and there is those network traffic lights in the system tray? Well i really like those and no other os ive used has had them. Sure i can have them when im connected to the net with a modem, but i use broadband... Think about the broadband users!!!!

Click to expand...

Try out MenuMeters, you can have the little flickering lights for network traffic. Very cool, free app.

In Save boxes, I'd like to be able to click on the name of a previously-created document and have it appear in the Save As field. This would allow overwriting the file if the name remained unmodified or creating a new file with a similar name with littte trouble. This makes it a lot easier to save multiple variants of a file (eg. developmental milestones,) especially if the name is long!*

I'd also like to be able to choose between CANCEL- and SAVE-style options in a dialog box with the keyboard arrows.

*If this isn't a Windows convention I might be remembering my days on the Amiga platform. Excuse me.

Originally posted by Powerbook G5 Most of those features are already in OS X if you look for them or you can add through 3rd party utilities. The copy/paste thing and window resizing from all corners will never happen, though, since Apple pretty much abides *strictly* to uniform standards, which the Windows way of handling cut/copy/paste/etc does not.

Click to expand...

Sure, with 3party utilities you can do anything. You can even make your Windows act like a Mac.

Quote

The one thing I'd like without having to get a 3rd party fix is being able to just switch between windows and have the inactive ones automatically hide without having to force hide them. I've found that LiteSwitch X does that, but it's $15.

Click to expand...

Just hold down "alt" when you press the new window you want in front. The other window will be auto-hidden then. Just like in OS9.

MacRumors attracts a broad audience
of both consumers and professionals interested in
the latest technologies and products. We also boast an active community focused on
purchasing decisions and technical aspects of the iPhone, iPod, iPad, and Mac platforms.